Tander announces retirement from Supercars racing

Garth Tander has formally announced his retirement from Supercars racing, bringing an end to one of the more decorated careers in the sport.

In what is set to be a Supercars Hall of Fame career, Tander retires as the 2007 Supercars champion and a six-time Bathurst winner, claiming 58 wins from 648 race starts.

Only Jamie Whincup (125 wins), Craig Lowndes (110), Mark Skaife (90) and Shane van Gisbergen (80) won more races than Tander.

Tander debuted as a fresh-faced 21-year-old for Garry Rogers Motorsport midway through the 1998 season, after taking out the 1997 Formula Ford title.

He won the 2000 Bathurst 1000 for GRM, where he plied his trade until shifting to the Walkinshaw stable in 2005.

Tander dominated all comers to win the 2007 drivers’ title for the HSV Dealer Team, before a move to the Holden Racing Team netted Bathurst victories in 2009 and 2011.

A return to GRM in 2017 was followed by a shock axing ahead of 2019, with former arch rivals Triple Eight signing Tander as van Gisbergen’s co-driver. They duly won Bathurst in 2020 and 2022, before Tander joined Grove Racing.

"I hadn't fully made my mind up [at Bathurst], but it was great to have the kids there," Tander said on the broadcast at Sandown.

"Obviously when we won, this is quite cool, this is really enjoyable. It was a nice fitting way to say, that's it.

"I never made the full decision until a week or two after Bathurst."

The history books will show Tander’s last race was a Bathurst victory, coming alongside Matt Payne in one of the greatest Supercars races of all time.

He will remain with Grove Racing through a new role, the team stating: “Whilst we’re sad to be losing one half of this year’s Bathurst 1000 winning team, GT isn’t going anywhere.

“He will remain an integral part of the team in his new role as Team and Driver Advisor.”

"I've been really, really fortunate," Tander continued.

"I still remember being a 21-year-old kid qualifying 16th at Phillip Island next to Dick Johnson, my very first race, stalling it on the grid and I was last to the first corner. Not a great start to my Supercars career.

"To be able to end it like that with a win at Bathurst with Grove Racing, it's a much better way to finish it than the way we started.

"I'm not sure we could go out on a higher high with winning that race, this year's edition of Bathurst.

"My kids hadn't been to any of my Bathurst wins, so to have them there, to have them experience it was really really cool, really special. I'm not sure it could be better than that."

It ensures Penrite Racing is set for a double change, with Dale Wood also parting ways with the team.